Ingredients
Cookie Mixture
- 2 cups almond meal or blanched ground almonds
- 1/2 cup caster / superfine sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 3 drops natural almond extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature (from 2 large eggs)
- 2 tsp honey
Almond Coating (optional)
- 1 extra egg white
- 1 1/2 cups flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare trays: Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F (170°C fan). Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together almond meal, caster sugar, lemon zest, almond extract, and salt until well combined. Stir in the chopped dried cherries and set aside.
- Beat egg whites: Using an electric mixer or handheld whisk, beat the two egg whites with honey until soft peaks form. This should take about 2 minutes on high speed or 1.5 minutes with a stand mixer at medium speed.
- Fold egg whites into almond mixture: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the almond mixture. Although it may seem like the air is being deflated, the meringue still retains its lightness.
- Prepare coating bowls: Lightly whisk the extra egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Place the flaked almonds in a separate bowl for coating.
- Form cookie balls: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and shape into rough 2.5 cm (1 inch) balls using two spoons. Perfection is not necessary.
- Coat cookies: Dip each ball first into the foamy egg white, turning it to coat thoroughly with two forks, then roll it into the flaked almonds, pressing gently to adhere as much almond as possible.
- Bake: Arrange the coated cookies on the prepared trays about 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown, starting to check at 12 minutes to ensure almonds don’t burn.
- Cool: Transfer baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving to allow them to set perfectly.
- Store: Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container. They keep well for up to 10 days at room temperature or can be frozen for longer storage.
Notes
- Almond meal/ground almonds are finely ground raw almonds commonly found in the dried fruit and nut or health food sections of grocery stores. You can make your own by blitzing raw, unsalted almonds until powdered.
- Regular white granulated sugar can substitute caster sugar if needed.
- Dried cherries are optional and can be replaced with cranberries, raisins, or other similar dried fruits.
- Use large eggs (55-60g each) and separate whites from cold eggs for easier separation. Let egg whites come to room temperature before beating for best volume.
- The almond coating is optional but provides a crunchy texture and makes the cookies less fragile. Without it, handle cookies gently as they become softer over time.
- Nutritional values per cookie are approximate and based on 20 cookies yielded.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
